


The Other Side

by Snowdrop7



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series), Multi-Fandom
Genre: Elemental magical guardians, Gen, Magical Girls, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Peer pressure consequences, Teens take a crazy risk, Yomi-net, multicrossover, winx club ocs - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:07:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25777129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowdrop7/pseuds/Snowdrop7
Summary: Two girls are tired of their constant rivalry with skeptic Nat. So to prove a point, they look for the internet website Yomi-net which is rumored to connect to the underworld.  Not just purgatory.  Right to one of the Infernal regions. And on one of the days when ghouls and demons come out to feast. But it's just another spooky urban legend. Right?
Kudos: 2





	1. The gateway to the underworld

Who knew that eight outcasts consisting of a bookworm, a semigoth, a spitfire, a jock, a prep, a cheerleader, a scholar and an elementary school girl would have one major thing in common? Magic.

And on top of that putting them on the same level s famed magical users. Thus they were dubbed the Enchanted Ones.

Who would ever guess something as petty as wanting to win an argument against one of the meanest girls could land three of them in genuine danger?

It wasn’t that long ago, just a couple of days before the Summer solstice. The guardians were in their college program managed by the seniors of their new college -Alfea, where they learned that even amongst magical users there were skeptics and the occasional fantastical bigotry.

Mainly from another girl in their year by name, Natalia “Nat” Halston. Dark brown hair, hazel eyes, tan skin complexion and a whole lot of attitude.

"Every lousy debate!" Bouncy curled Yui whined.

"Was it Natalia again?"

"Who else?!" Beth, the redhead tomboy, snapped.

Zaira – the practical semigoth- sighed in exasperation. "Okay, tell me. What'd she do this time?"

"Nat's always putting us down. Back in middle and high school it was malicious teasing, exclusion and degrading rumors from the popular girls. Here Nat is more subtle or uses more of verbal rebuttals in almost every topic just to spite us. She’s turning every group discussion or debate into a nightmare." Sara G shook my head.

"She's trying to get a rise out of you."

"Why?"

"Who knows?" Zaira shrugged. "Maybe she wants you to quit the summer program. Or maybe she thinks if she's mean to you, you'll try harder to improve your skills."

Beth scoffed. "That’s a stupid way to do it."

Kylie, the bookish blonde, put down her book, "Or… she feels slighted. To be more direct: insulted by us in some way."

"How?"

"I suspect it’s because we became new students in Alfea right on the same day Nat was supposed to get a school award or something, so she feels undermined."

"It’s no excuse." Yui grumbled.

"Talking to her didn’t work either," Haruna sighed sadly. "We told there was no need for the rivalry since we don’t have anything she wants and she took it the wrong way."

Kylie chimed in, "And to quote her: ‘Meaning you’ve all got everything and I don’t! We’ll just see about that!’ Then she flounced away."

It also would’ve been easier if their teachers didn’t keep either keep putting them in groups for projects in a misguided attempt to keep things from escalating.

"That is not your decision to make," Ms. Griselda had told a protesting Nat. "If you do not agree with the choice of your teammates, you can choose not to be here. We don’t allow bigotry, and bullying will not be tolerated. And anyone who does it will leave without marks."

Then the class started, Nat had turned to the girls and grumbled under her breath, "Don’t get too comfortable."

"How about that obstacle course with the boggart?" Theo changed the subject. "I’m still pumped, I could race the track again."

Haruna was glad to be amongst her friends and strengthening their powers, maybe the next time there was a supernatural threat they’d be better prepared.

"So long as we do it close to the protective barriers especially after what happened months ago and…" Haruna trembled still remembering what happened on the Autumnal Equinox of last year.

Theo and the girls looked sympathetic. "We get it. How about some shakes instead?"

Sara G then brought up something else. "Speaking of barriers, many ancient human cultures believe that on the longest night of the year, demons and spirits come out at midnight to feast. Or so Grim claims."

"Speaking of urban legends, ever heard of the yomi.net?" Zaira smirked. "They say it’s located somewhere on the internet deep web and it’s the homepage of something supernatural. No one knows how reach it. But if you find it, you can communicate with the spirit world."

"Well we seen a lot of stuff these four years, I wouldn’t be surprised if part of it ws true." Beth shrugged.

"You would!" Nat scoffed, she’d come up behind them. "Don’t you think if such a place existed, we would’ve known about by now?"

"Some things can't be proved with scientific evidence. It's a question of belief." Yui responded.

"Cheap talk if there’s no evidence, it doesn’t exist." Nat folded her arms.

"Coming from someone who lives in a world of fairies, witches, sorcerers and other creature mortals says don’t exist according to logic?" Zaira rolled her eyes. "That’s hypocritical."

"Well, I can understand if you're....scared. To be proven wrong that is." Beth grinned.

Nat huffed at the jab. "I’m not. And I’m going to prove that you’re wrong and I’m right!"

"Then let’s do it!" Sara G said.

That night and the next, both sides did their research preparing to outdo the other one in their dare. And on one fateful summer day…

* * *

"Alright, see you there." Theo hangs up her cellphone, "We’ll be meeting at the bus stop in a couple of hours – it’s 40% off at Deidra’s diner. That means desserts and sugary drinks on discount!"

"Oh that sounds tasty!" Yui smiled.

"Miss Kasuga, that boggart is not going to vanquish itself!" Professor Dufour said reprovingly.

"Be right there!" Yui answered.

While Yui was dealing with the exercise, the guardians had let their friends know where they’ll be meeting for a treat.

"Fine, when you’re done with Nat, meet us at the bus station around 2:30, got it?" Beth reminded Zaira, Sara G and Yui.

"OK."

"Will do." Yui had just come back from banishing the boggart – which was now in a small carton box.

"And don’t let that boggart out." Haruna reminded.

"No need to tell me twice." Yui grumbled, shoving the box into her bag.

Nat’s friends had already left, agreeing to meet her for shopping later on. Half an hour afterwards, they were still at it, they even tried the deep web too, but there was no sign of it.

Just as Sara G was about to give in, something appeared on the computer screen. It looked like some dark stone gates with some winged figures engraved onto them, with a blue background.

"Hey look at this. I think I found it!" Sara G at up straight.

Nat rolled her eyes, "I told you there’s no record about your dead portal whatsoever."

"I know, call me nuts."

"You’re nuts."

Sara G then pointed to the screen. "But this picture doesn’t look like your average website. There’s no instructions, maybe we just picked up a secret signal."

Finally, the other three notice and lean in curiously. Once they did, a title appeared saying ‘Spirit Portal: yomi network’.

"This is it!"

Intrigued, Sara G clicked on the gates. The doors slowly opened, to reveal a very dark room full of mist. For a moment, the four felt like they pulled right in, but soon as they blinked they saw that they were still sitting in the computer room.

"Well that was a bust!" Nat scoffed. "Must’ve been one of those scam sites."

"I’m just glad there wasn’t any malware or virus involved." Yui remarked.

"Great, now I’m five minutes late!" Nat snapped. "Thanks for wasting my time!"

"Alright, can we just leave now?" Zaira rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Let’s go." Sara G sighed then pressed the power button to turn off the computer.

The four left together discussing what the others will say. None of them looked back at the computer, if they did, they would’ve seen a large eye blink open on the screen.

It was past 3 but even as they approached their own destinations they’d noticed something off about the entire neighborhood: There was not out and about despite it being a weekday.

Zaira, Yui and Sara G looked around, they were at the bus station but there no sign of their friends or anyone else. Also Nat was even more confused not finding anyone from her group at the usual meeting spot.

Strange.

Against their better judgement, the four met up again, wondering where everyone else was. At that moment, their cellphones rang.

Nat answered hers first. "Hello?"

"Honk, honk, outside! Nat, where are you?" The other line said. "You were supposed to be here 20 minutes ago!"

"Twenty minutes ago?! I’m right outside the boutique in front of the bus station as always! Either everyone’s evacuated or you’re late!"

Yui then answers her own cell. "Yeah?"

"Hey, where you and the other two?" Theo’s voice questioned. "It’s way past the time we were supposed to meet up!"

"Theo! Where are you?"

"Where else? At the bus terminal!"

"But we’re right in front of the terminal!"

"What’re you talking about?"

Zaira took the cellphone from Yui, "Since a little while ago, there hasn’t been anyone around at all!"

"What do you mean? There’s loads of people here!" Theo’s voice protested.

"That’s why I’m telling you that something’s not right!" Zaira responded.

"Hold on, I get this now. We're being pranked." Sara G speculates.

Yui shrugged. "Either someone cast an invisibility spells on the community, or maybe we’re on the new reboot for Scare tactics."

Nat got a little excited. "Where are the cameras? Can we do another take? I'll give you way more in another take."

"Wait, there’s someone – HEY!" Yui’s voice cried out.

What none of them knew was that the missing four were no longer in the same dimension as them. Nor were they entirely alone. Yui had spotted a young girl in a white yukata passing by.

Hoping to get answers, the bewildered four sprinted after the stranger and lost sight of her around the next corner. But the moment they turned around, she was right in front of them!

Once they got a glimpse they get the uneasy feeling that something was terribly off. Even more so since the mysterious girl pointed behind them without saying anything.

* * *

The others were now greatly worried. How could their missing friends be in the same place, and be nowhere to be found? They couldn’t be possibly be invisible.

"Let me try them!" Beth insisted, she started dialing Yui’s number.

After three tries, the other girl answered. "Hello?"

The redhead held on the cellphone firmly. "Yui, don’t hang up! Where are you and the other girls? What happened?"

There was indistinct shouting from the other side.

"Yui, what’s that?"

"Nat is accusing us of drugging her… but I’m more than sure we’ve come into some other world! We tried disapparating but it didn’t work, what do we do?"

"What do you mean, another world?"

"Yomi-net… that must’ve been the cause!"

"Yomi-net?"

Sara G took Yui’s phone and spoke through it to Beth. "Please, you got to get to the computer lab!"

"Wait, the one with the computers donated from Zenith?"

"We were on one of the computers there earlier when just for one second, we found the entrance to the Yomi-net! I bet if you check the computer you might find something!"

Beth listened intently to the explanations, "Alright, hang tight. We’re on our way."

Without a moment to spare, Beth had herded the other guardians back to the establishment only to find the doors to the lab were locked. Theo was the one who insisted on opening the window so as to get there faster. It was unorthodox but the safety of their friends was at stake. Finally the window was jimmied open allowing them to crawl through and speed down the halls to the lab.

Kylie pointed. "Look, that’s computer is still on!"

And there was something on the screen: in it, they saw the missing four on their stomach lying face down and groaning as if in pain.

"What do we do?"

Their friends were trapped but they couldn’t just start pushing buttons at random.

* * *

The frightened four had found themselves in a barren area in a dull red haze. They spotted a river and a boat. Leading to it was a long line of people in white robes waiting to embark from the riverbed of stone. Relieved, they called out to them, yet received no response so they hurried over. But then Zaira skidded to a stop and pulled Sara G and Yui back.

"That goes for you, too!" Zaira stopped Nat.

"Hey, let go! This could be a way out!"

"It is, but not for us!" Zaira snapped. "Look over there! The fifth person in line for the boat? That’s the Prime Minister Takebana!"

"So?"

Zaira gave them a dark look. "And he died two days ago!"

"What?!"

"OK, Baker!" Nat folded her arms. "You wanted to prove me wrong, and here we are. At the edge of a river in the middle of nowhere. What are your plans? Or don't you have any?"

"It’s the river Sanzu!" To their shock, they saw the mysterious girl staring at them intently.

"You mean like the river Styx?" questioned Sara G.

"I – in a manner of speaking." the strange girl had hesitated before confirming. "Come, it’s time to go."

"But we’re not dead!" Yui shook her head wildly.

"We’re not going anywhere!" Nat put her hands on her hips.

"No matter what?"

"You can’t make us."

"Then it can’t be helped, I’ll just have to…" the strange girl smiled creepily at them. Her head turned to 360º angle but when it faced them again the face had turned to that of a horrible ogre! "Take you on the boat by force!"

"That’s a Datsue-ba! " Zaira gasped. "They always linger by the edge of the river to escort souls to the boat!"

"You just had to go and make it mad!" Sara G accused Nat.

"Never mind the talk – time to run!" Nat shrieked.

* * *

Back in the lab, the rest heard their friends screaming but this time it was coming from the computer. Kylie had been trying to reach them by cellphone when it finally connected.

"Who is it?!" Yui’s voice was close to hysterics.

"Yui, where are you?!"

"The River Sanzu! There’s an underworld ogre after us!"

"The Sanzu river?!" Kylie was stunned.

She and those in the computer lab exchanged nervous glances. According to Buddhism, it’s supposed to be a river that people cross when they die and that it lead to the afterlife. That could only mean the Yomi-net was the entrance to that very river.

Just then a cloud covered the sun and it got dark outside. The wind began to blow. The trees bent back in the wind and leaves blew across their path.

"Hey, where'd all this wind come from?" Haruna asked as her hair blew into her eyes.

"Never mind that!" Beth yelped. "I got to get ahold of Grim! Or Vanessa!"

* * *

While running from the Datsue-ba, the misled girls ran onto a strange circle with a pentagram which they all pass ghost-like through. Strangely enough, the underworld ogre stopped dead in its tracks and watched with an expression one could guess is disappointment.

Downwards they disappear breaking up into sparkling pixels then falling through a dark hole, walls of dirt racing by on all sides. There is an electrical crackle, then a wall of flames which then the girls fall from the sky, landing first on a tent building canopy. It acts like a trampoline which tosses them off and land in a dumpster.

Stunned and relieved, the four climb out of the dumpster, dust themselves off and look around. They’d somehow gone from a barren wasteland to an unapologetically sketchy city. There were no trees or any plants, just buildings soaring out of the sidewalk in an exact grid pattern. Almost everything seemed to have a mix of all the rough and shifty sections of New York and Las Vegas patched together. The streets had barely visible red cracks and the sky was a strange shade of red.

A further mystery, it look as if the city were preparing for some big celebration.

"Girls, I don’t think we’re in Tokyo anymore."

Nat rolled her eyes. "Good hunch, Kasuga."

"Oh, you know what? This is the last straw. Come on, let’s get out of here." Zaira twirls her finger round encapsulating all four of them but they remained where they were.

One more time they tried to disapparate, only to hit the pentagram shape in the sky and fall right back to where they started. However, when they attempted disapparating on other sections of the city such as alleyways or rooftops, it was accomplished. Meaning they were unable to disapparate away from wherever this metropolis was located.

So they tried to use their fairy forms to fly out. Even so, the moment they reached the sky it felt as though it were solidified, like a large glass cover they just couldn’t break through.

To any of the denizens observing, it looks like four glittering comets – one purple, one a soft blue, one yellow and another chartreuse- were racing towards the pentagram symbol in the sky.

Some watched curiously, other turned away rolling their eyes and scoffing. "Newbies."

After five minutes of trying to get through, the four fluttered down onto a sidewalk to catch their breath and changed back.

"Girls, I think perhaps the time has come to call for backup." Sara G suggested. "By that I mean either one of our teachers who knows a good teleportation spell."

"No! They'd kill us." Nat refused. "Look, we got here on our own, so we can survive here on our own. All we need is to stay focused, get directions and find a way to get home."

"What if we can’t get back?" Sara G sounded nervous.

"Don’t think like that." Yui gently said. "We just need to keep focused. Remember if things go south most likely the girls will have to alert the higher ups."

But they agreed to call Beth back. Zaira used her cellphone, "Beth we need your help!"

"Zaira! Nat’s friends have been pestering us about her whereabouts. Hate to be pessimistic, but you're gonna be in so much trouble if your folks-"

"We’re in trouble already! Here's what happened." Zaira then summarized everything they’d gone through, "We can’t use a portkey, we can’t apparate out of this place unless it’s actually in THIS area such as the top or inside or outside the buildings or even the streets!"

Beth sounded confused. "I never heard of place that keeps you from leaving one section of the country. Cross-disapparation across continents but not this. Anything else?"

"We must’ve taken a wrong turn when we were running from that Datsue-ba before stumbling downwards…so now we seem to be trapped here."

What were they going to do? Zaira and the other missing girls were lost somewhere between Earth and the other dimensions. But where?

To be continued…


	2. Dvided and debriefed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four teens lost in pentagram city, they separated by accident then two of them are given intel on where they are.

Beth hesitated then said. "Stay calm, we’re going to get ahold of Grim or anyone that might help. In the meantime, it’s very important for you to take a good look at where you are and describe landmarks."

"Well there’s no flora around here," Zaira glanced round. "Not a single thing that’s nature green."

"Keep looking around there’s gotta be something about the place we can identify. Maybe fly onto a roof and get a good aerial view."

"Alright, we’ll do that." Zaira winced then hung up.

Dark, seedy, rundown back alley. Zaira, Nat, Yui and Sara G step carefully through the filth and garbage to reach the sidewalk.

Yui shivered. "This doesn’t seem like a very good neighborhood."

"Gee, how’d you guess?" Nat snarked.

"Oh yeah, the place where I commit my other crimes is usually much more up-scale." Zaira replied back. "Listen, Beth suggested we get a bird’s eye view of this place."

Nat shrugged. "Fine, I’ll do it." She changed to fairy mode and flew upwards despite the other girls’ warnings not to go too far.

Once she was on the same level as one of the buildings she took a careful look around. The city was separated into different sections and littered with ill-reputed places such as casinos, adult film studios, brothels, restaurants, atelevision station and hotels. However, many of the signs and other sections were covered in banners that read ‘Happy June 21st!’ or ‘Summer Solstice Feast tonight!’

Weird. What kind of place celebrates the Summer solstice like a national holiday?

Nat then heard the sound of wings approaching. Looking up, she froze in horror. A very nasty, and very hungry purplish winged monstrosity was plummeting out of the reddish sky towards her.

Frightened as she was, Nat instinctively bats at it. The thing is momentarily stunned at the audacity. It freezes and shakes its loathsome head.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Nat dove for the streets. Her heart beating faster than her wings, she flew like the wind, disappearing through buildings.

But the creature didn't want to lose her. It followed her it was so close behind her she could feel its breath on her wings.

At that moment, a pair of hands pulled Nat aside and covered her mouth. Upon seeing it was the other three girls that had pulled her into a T shaped alleyway, she calmed. When they watched the winged creature rush past, then head back to the open sky.

"Did you see that? What was it? "

"Something I want to get as far away from as much as possible."

They nervously power walked to the sidewalk.

"Alright! So we can’t go flying solo all over the city." Nat acknowledged in annoyance.

"It was a good try though." Yui observed. "Did you see any notable landmarks or something?"

"Just that this place is getting ready to celebrate a Summer Solstice related event. Other than that I was too busy trying not to get eaten by a mutated bird of prey!"

"Getting back to our current situation: notice anything strange?" Zaira jerked a thumb at the passersbys.

Nat glanced around. "You mean the really elaborate costumes? Yeah, they really got the whole monstrous goth theme going on."

"They _do_ look like they’re getting ready for some big party or some festival." noted Sara G.

"But besides that, I can’t feel their ki!" Zaira said through gritted teeth. "As in the lifeforce!"

"Zaira’s right, I can’t feel anything either!"

Nat rolls her eyes and rationalizes, "Gimme a break, it’s probably a whole town of robots or androids like that one western place that Ventura guy ran into once."

"Oh yeah, since when do robots bleed as much as that?!" Yui was pale and shivering, she pointed to what appeared to be a half-hidden monster corpse in a cart.

The four stared unnerved until Nat says in exasperation, "OK, so it must be one of those very good, well produced horror movie props."

It was still unsettling, so they just continued walking a little faster away from the grisly sight.

One the girls groans, "Stupid barrier keeping us locked in! Stupid apparition! It can't even go... to the stupid place it's supposed to stupid go!"

Nat sees a sign of a nightclub, which her eyes lit up. "Hey, a night club!"

Yui looks torn but curious. It was one that says: _Nightmare night club_.

"Well we probably shouldn’t. But when are we be here again? Might as well make the most of it until Beth gets ahold of someone to help."

Zaira shook her head. "We don’t have time."

Nat retorts. "Uhm, yes, we do! For all we know it could be hours before your friends get help, and I expect compensation for missing the meet up with MY friends!"

"You’re blaming us for that?!"

"And you’re doing it again: You’re not taking a risk! You too scared to try something new." Nat said snippily. "You’re all such rule followers!"

Sara glares defiantly. "Yeah! We’ll show you! C’mon We’re going into the Nightclub!"

"A guess a little visit won’t hurt." Yui said uncertainly.

Zaira stares at her as if she's gone completely crazy. Is she serious? She and Sara G were to walk right into an 18+ nightclub??? She facepalms but follows after them. "For the record, I’m only going to keep you three out of trouble!"

Minutes later, they were at the entrance, where they briefly stopped by the bouncer – who wore an elaborate dinosaur man costume with red tattoos. "I’ll need to see some ID, ladies."

"Oh! Uh…." The girls stammered. Did they just get busted?

Then the bouncer laughed, "Psych! Just messing with you, girls! Come on in! We’ll cop ya and start a tab afterwards."

"Uhm, ok?"

"Is that all?" Nat grinned.

"Haven’t see you around, you all newbies?"

"As in newcomers: then yes!" replied Yui brightly.

"Well what a _coinkydink_ – and right in time for the Feast! Start in 00:00 hours!"

"What’s that represent?" Yui whispered to Sara G.

"He means midnight. Must be one big block party." Sara G comments as they were let in.

What a scene! Neon lights flashed on the dance floor and other lights swirled all over. It was jammed with wall-to-wall people dancing to the pounding music blaring from the sound system. The girls grinned as they took it all in.

"Whole city dressing up in costumes for one big party, there’s an idea that can really catch on." Sara G commented.

"Except Halloween’s three months away." Zaira pointed out.

"So they must like dressing up for an unknown holiday, quit fighting it." Nat dismissed.

"Somebody we know show up in costume?" A lady in a Mexican Catrina get up asked her companion.

A white raptor with black spots and a pink punk mohawk shrugged. "Not that I know of."

The girls have a seat, where they’re trying to reassure Zaira’s misgivings.

"Get a grip!"

"It’s only for a half hour or so, you can do this!"

But something seemed off about the place. Several of the patrons smelled like beer and something they couldn’t identify when they walked past the four girls’ table. Yui is pulled onto the dance floor by a medium purple guy in a pinstriped suit. "Hey Curls, thought you might like to do the vertical swing."

Nat laughs at her expense, only to be approached by a grey-brown gargoyleish one covered in stitches. "Hey, I just love brunettes."

"Girls!" Yui yelped as the guy did an exaggerated dance of the swing with her.

The stich-covered gargoyle stranger then grabbed Nat’s hand. "Come here, babe!"

"Don’t even think about-" she is cut off as the guy pulls her forward.

"Shouldn’t we do something?" Sara G asked worriedly.

"No, I think a lesson needs to be learned first. But chill, if things get rated R we’ll step in." replied Zaira watching in amusement.

"Nat says we ought to live a little? Let’s try one of those!" said Sara G, eyeing the bar with lots of glasses.

"You sure you can handle it? I got a hunch it’s not regular alcoholic drinks." said Zaira. "I already tasted them once in a family reunion. BITTER!"

They order one from the bar, the bartender passes one glass tankard to Sara G. But as she’s about to drink, she and Zaira see eyeballs, and severed fingers in the glass! And they did NOT look plastic horror movie props.

Sara yelped as she pushes the glass back away from her. "That’s gross, who’s is it?"

Zaira shook her head. "I do not want to know."

When the dance was over the tired and dizzy, Yui and Nat walked over to the bar.

"Oh good, we’re so thirsty."

"Wait, girls!" Sara G yelped.

"Don’t drink that!" Zaira cried.

They learn the hard way why Sara G was turned off by the drinks.

* * *

Back in the human word, the group is trying to get ahold of their other friends. Zaira had given them explicit instructions not to alert their teachers or adults. Beth uses her phone to call Tom Lucitor only to get a busy signal. Tony had arrived after one of the girls had called him to bring certain scrying materials to the computer lab. Now he was with the girls, trying to set up every available map possible.

"Amanojaku." Theo suddenly said.

"Who?"

"Kaya… I mean the ghost that possessed Kaya, Claire Mayanoshita’s cat!"

"That spook?" Tony questioned.

"Yeah."

"He can't hear us. I don’t even know if he can reach where we are."

"Yeah, he can!"

"We just have to do a séance. If we can call or summon him, he'll pinpoint where the girls are and give us advice on how to help them." Theo suggested.

"They’re not at the Sanzu river anymore that’s for sure."

Minutes later, the small group gathered a few candles and chalk, along with objects that represent the ghost. "Ok, close your eyes and concentrate."

Everyone did so. Theo closed her eyes and extended her arms out, "Spirits… this is Theo Schaffer, calling Amanojaku. Come in Amanojaku."

Nothing happened.

"Oh well, no answer. Let’s try calling Tom again."

"Let me try Vanessa the Dark Spectre Queen," Kylie suggested. "Perhaps she could give us better intel."

"Hold it! Come in Amanojaku. This is Theo Schaffer, we need your help. Are you there?"

The objects shake briefly and the lights flicker, despite being the afternoon. Still there was no answer. Nothing to indicate that the ghost was present. The girls and Tony ponder then remembered that the spirit feeds off fear. Perhaps if they look for something that usually scare them he can appear.

"Wait, I know," Beth said as she dials a number.

They call Billy’s house. Gladys Billy’s high-strung mother answers the phone call. She's polite that Beth is calling, but she wants to speak to Grim.

"Is Grim there?" Beth's voice asks, making Gladys frown deeply. She didn’t trust the cloaked skeleton. "It's for you." she said with a frown as she gave the phone to Grim.

"Hallo?"

"Hi Grim. I need your help, but you gotta promise you won't get mad or tell anyone, especially another adult."

"Hey, I’m an adult!"

"I mean the human adults, well the live ones that is…"

"What trouble have you gotten into now?" Grim pressed irritably.

Beth began quickly. "Sara, wanting to prove to Nat that she’s more than a risk taker. She took Nat, Yui and Zaira to check out this Yomi net site. They seem to have gone briefly to the Sanzu river. They avoided the Datsue-ba, but now they’re in another dimension. They can’t seem to apparate out and there’s some sort of barrier that keeps them from leaving. Now they’re stranded who knows where!"

"And I thought you had better common sense." Mandy’s voice remarked dryly.

"Hi, Mandy – you heard everything?" Most likely they were on speaker thanks to her.

"Loud and clear."

While Beth negotiates with Mandy on how soon they can arrive for aid, Theo and the others attempt another séance to summon Amanojaku’s assistance.

"Spirits this is Theo Schaffer calling Amanojaku. Come in, Amanojaku. We got something for you."

For a moment nothing occurred, but the lights flicker once again. Then Tony starts shaking and convulsing before glowing a soft carmine around him. And he had a sly smirk on his face.

"You guardians can’t seem to do anything, right can you?"

"Amanojaku?"

"So you remembered. You’re just lucky you’re friends of my human acquaintances. I’m merely borrowing the guardian’s brother’s body to speak."

Just then the mirror Kylie was holding rippled causing Vanessa, the Dark Spectre Queen herself to appear. "You rang?"

* * *

Meanwhile after leaving the nightclub, the girls were back to wandering them streets and caught sight of a vending machine.

"Hey this looks like a good spot to get some grub." Yui pointed.

But as Zaira and Nat were getting something, some weirdo snatches Yui’s backbag.

"Hey, my bag!" Yui cried.

She and Sara G promptly chase after the thief.

"Give it back, you jerk!" Sara G yelled.

"Suck it, new-" the thief was cut off when a boulder fell on him.

The sudden took them by surprise. Tentatively, Yui reaches for her bag which was still in the thief’s claw – against all logical explanation, continued to twitch.

"W-where did that come from?" Yui trembled, looking upwards fearfully.

"I don’t know. Let’s just…" Sara G. then saw that neither Zaira nor Nat were in sight. "Zaira? Nat?"

In the meantime, Zaira and Nat get the ‘goods’ from the vending machine, but one taste tells them it’s NOT a candy. It had a bitter flavor and a mild but slightly pungent smell. As a result, they spit it out.

"This really IS cocaine!" Zaira gagged. "I thought the labels were just jokes!"

"Ugh, what a rip!" Nat actually tosses it over her shoulder.

This action causes a random passerby to slip on the bag and fall, then another one spots the spilled the drugs and takes it. “Score!”

And on top of that, the two girls had lost sight of both Yui and Sara G in the process. Obliviously, Zaira was the first to step on the fallen sucker, right on the stomach, making him yelp. Nat was next, unknowingly stepping on the douche's groin.

"Think, think. If you were either Sara G or Yui, where would you go here?" Zaira was nervously shifting her cellphone from her left hand to the right and then back again.

"A music store," Nat said. "Let’s just go find your loser friends and get out of this dump!"

* * *

Those back in the computer lab were now communicating with Zaira and Nat. Amanojaku still possessing Tony, Grim on one line and Vanessa from a mirror.

"Girls, your friends have brought help." Vanessa spoke to them, "First things first, to pinpoint your location, can you tell us what it's like in there?"

"It looks like Ralph Bakshi’s Cool world, only if the sky got a red paintjob and the residents from the wrong side of Halloweentown’s tracks." Zaira’s voice replied.

"You gonna have to be more specific." Grim chided.

"They got this slit pupil eye theme going on…"

"Hang on there’s a sign it says welcome to --- oh come on! They just covered it in a large banner saying Happy June 21st!" Nat was heard griping.

"What places celebrate June 21st?" wondered Dana.

Zaira’s voice suddenly cried, "Wait! I see something! There’s a clocktower!"

"All places have clocktowers, what’s so special about dis one?" Grim reminded.

"It’s like Big Ben has gotten a gothic magenta tinge makeover but I see various posters and what looks like some sort of counter." Zaira’s voice explained.

"A counter?"

Zaira’s voice replied, "Yeah. It says: Next cleanse 305 days…"

Grim gasped. " _Pentagram city!_ "

"Didn’t catch that!"

“Oh Hell, you’re in Hell!” Vanessa face palmed.  
  
“Seriously?!” Zaira exclaimed.  
  


**_To be continued…_ **


	3. Deep trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While those back in the world of the living debrief Zaira and Nat, the other lost girls forget the importance of 'not talking to strangers'

"What?!" The others back in the computer lab gaped.

"Wait excuse me?" Nat’s voice said incredulously. Her voice and Zaira’s could be heard from the staticy screen of the computer.

Beth was alarmed. "You mean the darker, fiery part of the Underworld?"

"As in…" Dana gulped, pointing downwards.

"One of the nine circles anyway, the HFIL you’re familiar with is one of them." Vanessa confirmed.

"I’ll tell you why you can’t feel presences… because you’re in a section of the underworld where many wicked humans upon death are turned into demons." Amanojaku responded coolly. "The first and the most common are sinners, deceased humans who have been sent downwards and turned into demons. The second are naturally born down there."

* * *

"I don't believe it. There’s no such things as demons!" Nat yelled back.

  
This has an instant reaction from the people supposedly dressed in costumes. Mutters and complaints of indignation and disbelief are heard. While several look over suspiciously. Zaira quickly covers Nat’s mouth. "She suffered a concussion on the way down! Cracked skull – made her cuckoo!" She makes crazy gesture to diffuse the situation.

Fortunately, the crowd scoffs and leaves, accepting the excuse and cussing under their breath.  
  


"I did not --" Nat protests only to have Zaira stamp on her foot. "Ow!"

"Shut it, before your big mouth gets us in further trouble!" The semigoth muttered harshly under her breath.

"Even if it’s true, then where’s the fire and brimstone?" Nat snapped back.

Vanessa’s voice replied crisply, "The punishment is the continuous chaos amongst the residents and the fact that the demons and sinners can suffer a lot from that chaos, which is what they have to withstand for eternity. Everything down there is dangerous, inhospitable, and terrifying – even more so if you’re still alive."

Zaira bit her lip fearfully. To make matters worse, Yui and Sara G were lost wandering around somewhere in this infernal metropolis.

  
“There’s good news and bad news,” Vanessa said to the two girls. “The good news, the cleanse is when Angels come from heaven to DEAL with the overpopulation problem, so Hell isn’t so full. And if they see you girls, who are alive and pure souls, they’ll get you out of there, no prob.”  
  
“And the bad news?” Nat asked.  
  
“You saw the clock tower,” Grim laughed. “They won’t be there for another 305 days.”

"Oh great," grumbled Zaira. "The angelic cleansing won't be here for 305 days, we can't apparate or fly out - what do we do?"

"Mind if I point out a small detail?" Amanojaku’s voice then asked with a sneer.

"I daresay you can." Vanessa replied, pursing her lips.

"I would not place too much faith in the Angelic exterminators," Amanojaku spoke. "Need I remind you that not all fairies and witches were completely kind or pure historically speaking. Not that it’ll matter, you’d still be a sinner to them."

The angels might not hurt them so long as they don't get in their way but that, these could also easily go rogue and go after fairies/witches without the Man upstairs' consent.

"Swell, so we’re dead whether the extermination happens or not." Nat grumbled.

"You’ve also forgotten one very important detail involving tonight: It’s the Summer solstice."

"So? It can’t be any different than it is ever other day of the year." Nat said snippily.

Vanessa had suddenly gasped. "Oh no!"

"What is it?" the girls yelped.

"Tonight is the Summer solstice, the Demon Feast!" Vanessa cried, "It’s like Mardi Gras and Thanksgiving, only without the religious sentiments and more of the wilder, craziest, debauchery and food gorging aspects!"

"I'm already thinking of something dark and mysterious. The moment we ask it directions, any of these creeps could ingest us and spit out our bones!" Zaira said uncertainly.

"Getting eaten by cannibalistic sinners is the least of your problems." Amanojaku jeered.

"Bad enough if a live human gets trapped down there." Grim was saying to them. "I'll bet dem overlords wouldn't mind getting ahold of a seer or any magical user for a trophy status symbols either."

"Overlords? Trophy status symbol?"

"Look the rest of you stay away from the overlords, especially those with V as the starting letter for their names, and try to remain together!" Vanessa instructed

"But how will we know which ones are the Overlords?"

"You'll know the ones by how the other demons are terrified of them!" Grim said.  
  
"Okay, I do know a spell, so it might take an hour, or so," Vanessa said. "But I can slip something into the netherworld, via cracks and gaps. When I do that I SHOULD be able to pull you four out. However, I cannot let the rest of you walk around blindly across Pentagram city like moving targets and not know who to avoid, so allow me to send you images so that you’ll know."

"Better hurry the juice is almost out." Zaira said looking at her cellphone battery.

"Give me a…" Vanesa said, before the connection was cut off for the time being.

"Perfect!" Zaira grumbled. "Just perfect!"

"If I wanted get lost in the afterlife slums, I'd–" Nat grumbled.

  
Zaira elbowed her. "Would you shut up? And let's just find the rest! Before they’re either served on a silver platter or delivered in a gold-plated cage."

  
Nat follows unhappily, mocking her. " _Let's just find the rest!_ "

* * *

In less than 24 hours, the anticipated Demon Feast would begin. Not that Sara and Yui knew, they were too preoccupied with trying to get a hold of their friends by cellphone. Yui tapped it for extra reception yet was unable to reach Zaira.

"Come on! Come on!" Yui stressed.

However, because magic can just as easily be triggered by emotion, Yui unintentionally unleashes some tiny yellow orbs of light and flashing starry shapes that began to float around her head.

"Yui, tone it down a bit." Sara G urged.

"Relax, I don’t think anyone here knows we’re magical."

But they ought to have to proceeded with caution, for someone sinister had spotted them using their powers and listening intently. Or rather, more than one who resided in this macabre metropolis, two infamous ones…

From the entry to another nightclub (and several blocks from the lavish building of ill-repute), a tv demon watches and smirks. He wore a striped tuxedo, a black and red striped shirt with a red bowtie and a black top hat with red and blue designs reminiscent of a broadcast symbol and radio wave symbol, respectively, and his antennas stick out of it. The eyes were red with light-blue pupils, but the left eye had black stripes and a jagged pupil. He has sharp, jagged light blue teeth. This was Vox, one of the Overlords of Hell.

"Did you see that?" Vox nudged his accomplice.

"What?"

"Those two girls over there just used magic – as in the _mortal kind_."

His associate and fellow Overlord, Valentino, looked over. He was a tall one with muted blue skin, red eyes covered by pink and gold heart glasses. He wore a matching top hat, with two antennae, one having a feather-like appearance. His wings were well hidden as a red fur-lined coat with more of his fuzz as his 'collar' having red hearts implanted in it and plain white fluffy cuffs.

Valentino’s parties have always been exclusive, full of high-quality and rare delights - one of them being the stars of the studio. There are few privileged people that can book some private time with one of Val’s most famous actors, and feasts like this especially during the Summer Solstice were one are a once-in-a-lifetime occasion to get some of their attention for free. They’re such a rare treat, and of course everyone’d want a piece of them before the celebration ends.

Alcohol, drugs, and demons of all sizes and genders to squeeze and touch and abuse of in every way also worked as perfect incentive to make people come back over and over again. He was far more lucid than the vast majority of his guests and roamed around the room, making certain everything was going smoothly and none of his boys and girls was misbehaving.

But right now, he eyed the two teenage girls that stood several yards away from the crowd with keen interest. Was Vox right? Were these two girls actual spell-casting breathers?

"Point me!" The pink haired one whispered to something in her hand. There was a small flash of light, then a cerulean orb bounced several times down the sidewalk – creating blue wisps every time it touched the ground as a sort of trail to follow.

"You see?" Vox gloated, already seeing a glowing idea in mind.

Valentino smirked. "That’s what I’m talking about…"

Newcomers were easy to spot, even to the dumbest demon. And magical users - be they fairy, wizard or witch – still alive and breathing, were no exception.

It isn’t only a matter of body language - but a feeling, an itch on the fingertips, a doubt tugging at the back of the mind and whispering exciting news. Valentino has spent few decades in Hell so far, but he has already taken advantage of enough new sinful souls that he could _almost_ been satisfied with the amount he’s gathered in his golden cage. _Almost_. His greed is as hungry as his infamous lust, thus not seizing an opportunity when he sees one is always out of question. And a pair of tenderfoot spellbinders wandering around like those two _smelled_ like opportunities.

With a few quick hand flicks, he and Vox had gestured for their stooges to discreetly cut off the two girls’ possible escape routes. The last thing they wanted for their potential treasure trove of magic to run away.

An Overlord’s curiosity always ends up being far more dangerous than their anger or displeasure. If they want something, they’ll get it - even if it means that soon blood will be dripping from their claws, literally. For the time being, though, neither Vox nor Valentino have come here looking for a fight. No, they were going to do what everyone else would have done - go take a closer look. 

* * *

Yui and Sara G were just about to follow the spell’s pathway when their view of it was blocked by some more of the costumed denizens of the city that were hanging around the nightclub. They huffed a little in annoyance, now what?

"You ain’t the kinda person anyone expected to pop up here, first trip to Pentagram city?" A male voice inquired amicably. It was baritone, velvety and smooth.

They turn to see two men casually leaning out from a lavish red limousine that had a heart symbols on the hood, a golden moth as a hood decoration and trunk – a couple of women in skimpy get ups were watching the scene curiously. The one that had spoken wore a posh red fur coat and hear sunglasses, his companion was a strange looking one with a TV for a head.

Yui stared, greatly taken aback. "Uhm…Hi."

"Pentagram city? That’s what this place is called?" Sara G wondered, looking around.

The two men nodded.

"My associates and I noticed you looked rather lost, know anyone here? Or perhaps looking for a place to stay?" The TV head one questioned.

Yui replies distractedly, "Not that we’re aware of. We just lost sight of our two friends --"

The smirk on the two male beings grew wider. So there were two more greenhorn mages down here too!

Naïve and unsure as these two girls seemed, they were also naturally pretty in their own way - and Valentino has always been too fond of beauty to deny its presence when it’s right in front of him. A long drag from his cigarette holder, all while his gaze stays on the two girls. _If he wants to stare, then he will as long as he wants_. 

Sara G then pointed to some of the signs, "Sorry to interrupt, Mister – er…"

"We don’t know what to call you." Yui finished lamely.

The two males introduced themselves smoothly.

Sara G nods once then said, "Back to my original question, I meant to ask: what’s with all the banners and decorations everywhere? Is the city getting ready for one big party or something?"

"Something like that. Just a little annual get together." The two spellbinders were clearly out of their element, nonetheless it was best to keep an eye on them.

"What’s the occasion?" Sara G questioned.

Briefly the two in the limo exchanged looks as though carefully contemplating their next words. "Just the arrival of the Summer Solstice."

"By the way, those are some great costumes." Yui complimented. "You guys here sure know how to throw one big costume party."

Was it her imagination, or did the two look like they’re trying their best not to laugh? Even the ladies in the limo seemed to be giggling silently.

This was going to be like taking candy from a baby. These mortal girls actually thought they were still in the world of the living, where everyone was costumed.

"But, what’s so funny?" Sara G was confused.

"Excuse the chortling, girls, I don't believe you are in on our little joke." Vox calmed. "And if you don't mind me saying so. you're both too young to be walking home alone in the evening. There are still a few unscrupulous characters about." He ‘warned’ them.

"Yeah, we kinda figured that out on our own." Yui said sheepishly, remembering what happened at the nightclub and the creepier stuff they saw in the streets.

Vox greets her words with a wide grin that’s far away from being threatening. "You need a friend; a sponsor."

"Oh no, we’re not looking to get into show business!" Yui starts taking out her cellphone, "We’re just looking for our friends." She stops at a picture of Zaira, then held it up. "Have you seen our two friends? This is one of them."

The two in the limo squinted, scrutinizing the image keenly, intending to memorize the face of the other fairy.

Valentino shook his head. "Afraid not, sugar."

"Can’t say we have." Vox replied.

Another dead end. Sara G sighed. "Guess it’s back to the four-point sp- I mean, strategy for us."

"Just how exactly did you say you end up here?” The one in the red coat looked at them from above the golden rim of his sunglasses inquisitively. “Or do you want me to try and guess?” 

Sara G and Yui huffed and rolled their eyes, souring at how they ended up in this mess to begin with.

"We took up dumb dare from stuck-up skeptic that wouldn’t stop hounding us." Yui grumbled. "It involved the Yomi.net, heard about it?"

"So that underworld hag is already going after curious sophomores now." Vox chuckled.

That detail clicked something in Sara G’s mind. Wait, how did they know it involved the Datsue-ba?

Val cleared his throat. “I was gonna hang around at my club for business matters, but I can ditch that to help two newcomers feel better. My girls and boys are always happy to put on a private show for me, and they like it when I bring _friends_ with me.”

"What kind of private show? " Sara G questioned, she was starting to get bad vibes.

They were being just a little too nice, and now they’re inviting them someplace else? This is getting fishy.

“Only the best kind, babe! No one can throw a party like I do!”

"Look, thank you for er, your advice." Sara G stepped closer to Yui to pull her away. "But we better get going"

* * *

Meanwhile, Nat had already tried calling her posse again only for the battery to die at that moment. "Oh! Well that’s just great!"

"Hang on, this is stupid!" Zaira points to her phone and Nat’s causing a purplish charge. "There! Maybe we’ll get better reception."

From several yards away, someone else had spotted them using magic. He was a tall one with glowing red eyes and a sharp toothed smile.

Zaira and Nat look at their cellphones then received a message courtesy of Vanessa, and Grim. It contained pictures – more like a rouge gallery depicting the overlords (not counting the BIG cheese himself and his wife) of Hell.

"Eugh, some of them are pretty ugly!" Nat winced. "Though those owlish ones look classy."

Zaira nods firmly. "Sweet! Gotta send this to Sara and Yui so they’ll know who to watch out for until we find them."

* * *

Back with the other two, Val has actually blown the smoke from his cigarette towards Yui and Sara G. But instead of grey, it was deep red and took the shape of a hand that beckoned.

Yui, who was in the middle of rambling, she paused at the sight of the smoky hands and she leaned away in the opposite direction to separate the touch.

"Oh, that’s… a cool trick." Yui said nervously. "And a WAY hard pass, dude."

Even Sara G was unnerved. No way a non-magical stranger has that ability to create shapes out of smoke, let alone have some physical texture. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ping of her cellphone – indicating a message arrival. She checked, it was a shared message from Zaira.

As she opens it, Sara G raises an eyebrow at the words. What’s this? According to Zaira, they’d spoken to Vanessa and Grim, turns out the lost four were currently in Hell’s capital: Pentagram city. But then she noticed the warning, it said to beware of the Overlords, with it were portraits so that they could recognize them. But amongst the most dangerous ones were… her turquoise eyes open wide in fear as she looks back at the two ‘men’. The information she’d read chilled her to the bone.

The Summer solstice the city was celebrating was the incoming Demon feast! Of course, they’d laughed at the mention of costumes, because they were actual living demons! She and Yui had been talking to two of the most infamous demon overlords! And from the additional frightening information she’d received, that meant the private party Valentino implied was…

Heart pounding, she tried to nudge Yui away. "Yui, that four-point tip will wear off!" She said through gritted teeth.

The curly haired girl seemed to get the idea that leaving was the best option. "Oh sorry, my friend is keen on getting back to Odaiba – Ms. Iknow is going to give a surprise quiz on Monday."

"In the middle of summer?" One of the ladies in the limo inquired dubiously.

"Extracurricular course!" Sara G yelped.

"Sara’s a straight A student!" Yui nodded, trying to back away.

This only seemed to amuse the sinister strangers even more.

"Come now, having a couple few breathers down here is rare treat." Vox jeered.

Breathers? The girls didn’t like the sound of that. If what that message said was true, the reason they couldn’t feel kis was because these demons used to be humans, but they’re dead ones turned into demons upon death.

The two girls attempted to move through the crowd only some of the sinister looking ones that formed the creeps’ entourage to block them off. A few patrons that had been watching were abruptly glancing away fearfully.

Hold up, they’d formed a circle around Yui and Sara G. Most of them were smiling, but it wasn’t the friendly smile nor the tense, stepford type. No, these smiles were the awful predatory ones.

Now the two girls weren’t just uncomfortable, they were scared. Sara asked, frightened. "Who are they?"

Valentino waved a hand casually to open the limo door, "Business associates, sugar. Just hop in and you won't have to look at them anymore."

"What? No!" Both girls shook their heads wildly.

"Don’t play coy, with us. We already know what you are, we saw your powers!" Vox chuckled.

"You and your friend won’t get hurt so long as you use your magic for our benefit!"

Yui mumbled nervously, "I think we just blew our cover on not using our magic in public."

The circle had tightened now those two spooks and their goons were closing in.

**_To be continued…_ **


	4. Frenzied flight and collision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls reunite get into worse trouble and literally crash into a helping hand.

After briefly watching some bewildering news on the display window of a multimedia store (Nat claims it was a musical ad disguised as a new broadcast), Zaira and Nat continued their search. At one-point Nat had been about to set foot into a section that appeared to be stuck in the 1910s.

Fortunately, Zaira stops briefly as her eyes glowed a bright purple for a few seconds. This meant she’d just had a premonition. Quickly she grabbed Nat’s arm and pulled her back.

"Nat!" she snapped, "You blind?" And she points to vertical sign to the left that read: Cannibal Colony.

"Oh give me a break!" Nat rolled her eyes. "It’s just a gimmick!"

But wet something dripped into the back of her shirt, she reached and saw it was blood. Then to her and Zaira’s shock, a severed limb fell down just inches from their feet.

Nervous, the two girls exchanged looks, spun around and power walked away.

Ten minutes later…

"Someone's following us!"

To say Pentagram city was not a nice place to be with someone following was a massive understatement. Being down there instead of hearing all the stories and theories was whole different harrowing experience entirely.

"Don't say that!" Zaira hissed. "What, like if I don't mention it, it's not happening?"

"Right." Nat shrugged. "There is nobody about fifty yards behind us skulking just out of sight. And that nobody hasn't been staying fifty yards behind us for the last five minutes. Any chance they could photographers?"

Zaira elbowed her. "Nat, get serious."

"I am. Seriously scared."

"So what do we do then?"

"Like run?"

"Except we need to keep calling for Yui and Sara. They could be anywhere nearby."

Nat sighed. "I've been ready to run for the last twenty minutes. Which is as long as we've been followed. But he's been keeping his distance, so I didn't mention it."

"Twenty minutes? So you knew we were being followed!"

"It was just that feeling of being watched."

Zaira kept a sharp eye on a figure far behind us that vanished out of view. "Here is as good as anywhere until the street mission opens. The girls could be anywhere, and we won't find him by running away." 

Then, scared or not scared, the thought of some rando trying to scare them ticked her off. Being stuck with a haughty preppy girl was bad enough.

Zaira spun around and yelled. "Alright! Whoever it is following us, show yourself, you big chicken! Or we're going to come over and get you!"

"Oh right, like if you yap at the stalker he’s gonna walk right up and ask you to beat him up!" Nat rolled her eyes.

There was a flapping and movement near the trashcans then a poof. To the two girls’ bewilderment it turned out to be three underworld imps (considerably smaller than those that lived in Hell) Zaira recognized them as Grim’s small associates from the underworld.

"Who me?"

"Were you talking to us?"

Both Zaira and Nat took a hesitant step closer only to stop abruptly. The imps turn to see a long shadow with glowing red eyes and smile emerge from a wall.

Immediately the Underworld imps yelped and scattered. A better look at the ‘shadow’ revealed that it was taking shape into a tall man – or rather a male humanoid demon.

He had a short red angled bob cut with black cowlicks extending from the top of his head, resembling deer ears, and two small black antlers. He wore a dark red pinstriped coat which is slightly ragged along the bottom, a bright red dress shirt with a black cross on the chest underneath and long burgundy dress pants with matching bright red cuffs. His eyes, had red scleras, bright red irises, black pupils, and had a black oval-shaped monocle over his right eye. And he sported a jagged yellow toothed smile.

Fear coursed right through the two, recognizing the demon from the message sent to them via text. This was a demonic Overlord, Alastor, the infamous Radio demon.

"Aaaaagh! Run for it!" Zaira had ended up screaming.

Nat didn’t need telling twice.

The two frightened fairies had run down the street, through alleyways, jumping fences, practically anything they could think of to put distance between themselves and the terrifying figure.

"I think we lost him." Nat panted.

They’d found themselves in front of one of the nightclubs with quite a crowd of sinners. Must be either a flash mob or a crowd waiting for an outdoor event.

"Hopefully," Zaira said. "Is he following us?"

"No, I don’t think so." Nat responded.

"The answer is NO!" Sara G’s voice yelled.

Both Zaira and Nat straightened up. That was Sara! Where was it coming from?

Following their voices, Zaira and Nat saw several unpleasant looking spooks getting closer, and closing in around their missing friends. A closer look reveals this intentionally meant to herd the two girls towards… oh no. Those were two of Hell’s most dangerous overlords stepping right out towards them!

As expected, the two other fairies panicked.

Courage or recklessness or stupidity - the reason doesn’t matter. Their violence doesn’t feel disrespectful. Right now they were just toying with the cornered fairies.

"Get your hands off me!"

"Let go!"

"No, please no!" Yui’s voice wailed.

Now, they were dragging the two girls towards a sinister looking red limo. That was all Zaira and Nat needed to shove their way through before they’d lose sight of their friends.

"Hey, back off!" Zaira yelled.

"Zaira! Nat!" Yui and Sara cried.

Fortunately their intended captors had stopped long enough for the two girls to slip out and rush to their friends.

"Step off, we got advanced convergence learning and we’re not afraid to use them!" Nat said with false bravado.

Vox said with a dark chuckle, "Well, you're not in the world of the living now, and the rest of your little friends aren't here to protect you."

"You’re two of Hell’s overlords, we were warned about you!" Zaira declared.

"Warned, you say? By whom?" The one with a TV head inquired in amusement.

"The Dark Spectre Queen." Zaira responded.

Adorable attempts, had to grant them that. The glares and fighting stance expressed defiance - impressive for those of their _mortality_ , but nothing when compared to the raging volcano of Val’s wrath. Humans. Many sinners have forgotten what it was like to be one of them. Had to be careful with these four, and not out of politeness. Eve if the four girls were young fairies.

"Alright, we’ll bite. I can do games, you know."

"Yeah, well, come on, get going. You gotta keep on your toes in this one."

But the girls having just about enough bad run ins down there, Nat and Zaira just about lashed out. Albeit each in a different manner.

Nat actually hit the one with a TV head – Vox- with her knee a lot harder than she intended.

That _hurts._ The shock on his face mixes with his anger as he brings a hand to the aching solar-plexus. “What the _fuck_ was that about?” The audacity!

While Zaira – against her better judgement- raised both of her palms unleashing a strong influx of purple lightning right through the taller one in a red coat and white furry collar. Enough to electrocute a giant.

The reactions had the entire crowd gasp in shock. Those four were in deep trouble now.

Caught completely off-guard, Valentino looks like he’s about to lose balance, but manages to stop his body before it gives up on him and lands on the floor. An impressive result for someone wearing heels that high.

The angry, stern expressions on both Zaira and Nat faltered when they see that their opponent didn’t go down.

Even with his mouth full of blood, Val laughed maniacally. Crimson drops fell from his sharp teeth and ran down his chin, giving the impression of a dangerous carnivore that had just been feasting. He didn’t bother to clean his face. Behind the heart shaped sunglasses, his eyes were wide open, a layer of adrenaline and hunger coating them. Electricity and static clung to his coat and body for a little longer before dying and vanishing slowly.

“Stupid little… You gotta do more than that to knock me the fuck out!” He wasn’t afraid of a _little challenge_. One of his hands wiped blood off his mouth, red stains barely standing out against the black glove. “C’mon babe, give me your best shot! Zap me like you need something to jerk off real good!”

“Now what should I do to these punk pixies to teach them to show some respect?”

  
"Yeah, yeah, you're good a trash talking. Why don't you show me what you got?"

"Well wish granted: Half our entourage is here and we aim to drag you back to our domicile."

One of the goons yelled. "Hey! Wanna have some fun? There’s four breathers down here, both Val and Vox are paying big bucks to bring ‘em in!"

Horrified, the four girls exchanged looks.

"Demon Overlords." Nat said flatly.

"Red light area." Yui acknowledged.

"Increased Danger." Sara G added.

"Options?" Zaira questions.

"Sprout our wings and bolt?" Yui guessed.

Bingo. Zaira nods once. "Ready… GO!"

Blinding flashes of yellow, blue, chartreuse and purple hid the girls from view briefly as the goons jumped. The fairies made good use of their wings and flew away in the opposite direction.

Their knees ached and they’re panting with the amount of adrenaline coursing through them that had their wings n overdrive.

What if they're coming after them? What will they do to them now if they catch them?

Zaira didn't look back, nor did she slow down. Her heart pounding, she and the girls sped through the streets. In her blind dash from the falcon, she didn't see the white limousine until… CRASH!

One wrong turn caused Zaira to slam right into the side with a startled shriek.

"Zaira!" The other three girls flew to her side just as the limo came to stop and the window rolled down.

Two women, a deathly pale blonde and one with white hair peered out with different expressions. The first one looked inquisitive while the second one looked irritated, possibly due to the brief jolt.

"Hey, what’s the big….?!" She began then became surprised the moment she got a good look at the four younger girls.

"No. Nothing’s broken we’ll ponder that." Zaira grumbled as she stood up.

Only to notice the two women, their other passenger in the limo and the other three girls were all staring at her.

Sara G grimaced sympathetically. "Your arm!"

The tall passenger had winced. "Ho yeah, that’s gonna leave a mark."

Zaira looked down at her right arm, and almost wished she hadn’t. "Aaaahh!"

Nat then pointed to the blonde woman, "Wait you’re that musician!"

The lady smiled brightly. "I prefer the term visionary."

**_To be continued…_ **


End file.
